Prologue
by Good Evening
Summary: Zero enjoys the last youthful years of his life, gaining 'compensation' from those who nearly took it away. Prequel to "Epilouge", found under the 'T' rating. A little violent, ZeKa, mentions of sexual situations between adults and minors. Could be longer


The summer of Zero's twenty-fourth year had been the hottest of his life. A heat wave like none other boiled the city until the residents, forced to escape, ran to the countryside and relatives in the mountains. Even there, the sky broiled the earth with a moist heat that most couldn't believe. It was a short summer, but left its burns on anyone outside during the day. Zero's schedule had changed, since those years before.

He spent what late and early hours he could get out of a day lounging by his sole apple tree in his small, bricked-in garden. It was peaceful and just a little lonely, and he was thankful to have a place so wonderfully relaxing and isolated. His estate was, for his income, adequately large, and he enjoyed sipping tea and reading from his collection during the last and first hours of daylight. During the night, he hunted with a rediscovered passion, knowing that somewhere inside of him was a machine capable of plastering _that face_ on any one of his targets. He was grateful for what he had, and found it pleasant to spend quiet days beside rambunctious nights. He would often look up through the leaves of his brother's tree in the sweltering heat, pluck an apple, and whisper a small 'Thank you, Brother,' before biting into it with relish. His brother truly had one skill that soared above Zero: his green thumb. Zero tried not to think about whether or not he missed the other man, but with the wind sweeping the branches and breezing through his hair so teasingly, he couldn't help but think the innocence of their childhood had somehow left an impression, and that Ichiru's only contributions to the world weren't simply scars and complications. It was a life with short horizons, but after the excitement over Rido, Zero grew to love the quiet solitude, his little brother standing always close to him.

Then came the day that Yuki called on him. It _was_ during the day, and he hurried to the Kuran mansion, thinking something had gone wrong. When he arrived, he found a collection of high school chums, grown to be physicists, philosophers, politicians, and, in Yuki's strange case, a housewife with a couple of eccentric hobbies. Aidou greeted him with a cold shoulder that left Zero's bones aching, and Kain evened it out somewhat with a burning slap on the back, an uncharacteristic example of friendliness and closeness he must've learned on his trip to Australia.

Yuki greeted him with her usual bounciness, and he found himself oddly undisturbed by her fangs and changed eyes, and the scene as a whole. He wasn't comfortable, but he didn't feel like leaving. Until the Master of the House came down the stairs, and Zero had to remind his trigger finger that reunions were not places to pull out guns.

"Hello, Kiriyu. I assume you are well?" He'd held his hand out with the gentle eloquence of a man of his stature, and Zero had finished the gesture with one firm shake, quickly drawing away. Everybody understood why. Except Yuki, it seemed, who started pissing about that they should be friendlier to each other after having worked together during that time… They hadn't 'worked' at all. The only thing that _had_ worked was the plan. Its outcome, while rather devastating to both Ichijo and Rima, was something to forget about. Zero couldn't heal like Kaname, and it appeared Kaname hadn't the same strength he'd found before his 'captivity' in the Ichijo estate. They _needed_ each other. They never _worked_ together.

"So," Zero asked, "What was this for?" Yuki beamed and Ichijo explained that she had invited each of them for a week-long celebration. They were to visit the beach at some point, and Zero instantly lamented coming: he hadn't had a swimsuit since high school. The most he could probably manage was a pair of old khaki shorts. The blonde had also added that he was happy to see that Zero was well, and proceeded to tell him his entire after-incident life's story. It took about four minutes of talking and thirty minutes of either laughing, fuming, or crying. If insanity was infectious, Zero had stepped into the quarantine zone. When Yuki paired up with the now-energetic man, they wailed with a shared humour and recanted the disastrous event with a likewise energy that ever-so slightly disturbed Zero.

Kain and Aidou were speaking quietly to each other. The ring on Kain's finger shone brilliantly in the evening light, and Zero noticed the man stealing glances at Ruka, who smiled with a feminine warmth Zero had been without so long, he recognised it with nostalgia and envy. However, he took one look at Aidou's sole red earring and instantly excused himself. He managed to escape to the porch for a breather, and stared at the sunset until he felt better.

Soon enough, though, he felt _that face_ staring his way, and _those steps_ alerting the approach of one very old acquaintance.

"How are you, Zero?" Kaname had asked casually. Their excursions in high school had earned them nothing but a flimsy treaty, but Zero played along under Yuki's soft-and terrifying-eyes.

"I'm getting by. I haven't seen you since the marriage ceremony. How've you been holding up?" Kaname was wistful,

"It's been like a dream."

"Bruising goes away when you wake up, right?"

"Just about…" They stood in silence, watching with mild interest as the sun sank more quickly into the clouds. The estate was on a bit of a perch, but the view was heavenly, something only pureblood gods could savour. Zero swallowed as much of it as he could. When the last of the bright light faded, Kaname took off the sunglasses he'd been wearing, wiped them on his shirt, and dropped them into the pocket of his comfortable-looking pants. Zero watched in a relaxed pose, curiosity making him itch,

"How have you really been, Zero?" Kaname had gotten to it before he had. Twenty-Questions wasn't exactly Zero's speed, but it seemed the only thing they could get by on in this early stage of their recently-excavated 'kinship' (they had loved the same girl, after all.)

Zero resisted sighing easily, "I'm fine. Same boy you knew in high school, only eight years older." The thought struck them, then; eight years? Kaname's knuckles whitened as they held the iron railing, and Zero swore he heard it cracking before Kaname pulled away and folded his hands into his pockets,

"I heard you're working for the Head Department at…"

"Yeah; good pay-raise," A touchy subject, but Zero couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face when he saw how stern Kaname had gotten. What did it matter? Zero had more paperwork than guns, now. It was grossly off the natural balance.

"I heard you're going on an extended trip soon. Business?" Kaname tensed up again, and he seemed more occupied with the shady view than their conversation. Zero watched him with vague interest, but couldn't elaborate until Kaname paved the way.

"Yuki decided it would be nice to get out of the house. We haven't done anything spectacular in a while, so she suggested going abroad." Zero leaned backward against the railing, chuckling at Kaname's somewhat distrusting tone,

"You don't sound like you want to go very much. The wife forcing you into it?" When Kaname didn't answer, Zero laughed again and closed his eyes. He could feel the older man's smile, "I've been thinking, actually," Kaname turned toward him with a slightly more conversational look to him, "I haven't really been doing anything but routine work, lately," The brunette's ears really perked up, and he looked sceptically at the other male,

"Zero,"

"What? I'm not trying to be weird or anything?" He leaned in a little closer, motioning for Kaname to do the same. The man did so hesitantly, "Yuki's watching us," Zero relayed in an amused whisper. Kaname drew back with a small laugh, looking into the house and seeing her small form weave back into the crowd. His wife had been spying on them. Quaint.

"But seriously, would you mind if I tagged along? At least go with you to Amsterdam. If anything, I need a good, quick vacation to unwind with." He still had nightmares about the plastic, bleached-blonde whores of Germany. People in the Netherlands were so much more laid-back. Kaname seemed a little stunned by the easy proposition, but seemed like he didn't want to be completely alone with his wife. Zero felt like questioning that constant hesitation.

"I know Yuki wouldn't mind, and it would be nice to have a more private reunion." Zero finally got the true, '_We-need-to-talk_' message Kaname had been trying to get across since the start of their rendezvous. Zero sighed now, scratching the back of his head and standing straight,

"I'll meet you on the grounds in a bit. I'm going to see if I can get drunk enough by that time." Neither of them were very modest men, or polite in all sense of the word, but they were, for the most part, honest and dutiful, and it would probably take even Kaname a couple of drinks before he could go over the things on his mind.

"No, I'll join you."

-

They awoke to snow. Not around them, but specifically on them. Aidou stood over them, arms crossed in the late summer wind, trickling the cold crystals so as to wake them. Their heads buzzed with hours of drinking. They'd hijacked a couple of bottles in leaving the manor, and had drunkenly waltzed through the grounds. The Ice Queen did not look pleased,

"Her ladyship, Mrs. Yuki, is waiting for you. Most everybody else is in the same state." He muttered this with disgust, and it was now that they were getting up that Kaname and Zero really looked at themselves. Hair messed up, shirts partly undone, shoes kicked off to God-knows-where, they were utter messes, and still somewhat inebriated. Kaname, for whatever reason, more-so.

"Everything is fine, Hanabusa. Please tell Yuki we'll be over in a minute." Aidou left in a hurry, stumbling somewhat through his own drunkenness and Kaname finally dropped his collected state. And almost straight into Zero's chest, collapsing on the man and making him "_Oompf!!_" so loud, some birds rustled and flew away.

"Kaname, get up…"

"Mmn, I'm so tired, Zero…" The brunette stretched languidly on him, seeming to fall asleep as he clutched Zero's crooked jacket.

"Come on, Kaname, your woman wants you and God knows I don't." Kaname clenched the jacket for a second, attempting to steady himself then rose shakily. Zero got up a little too quickly, and wobbled as he gained his bearings and went to support the quickly falling pureblood, "Up we go; geez, you're almost the same sort of drunk as my partner." At least he wasn't balling and calling out his 'rat-bastard' of a brother all over town. Or groping him on the subway… Zero had interesting acquaintances, especially at the Agency.

"Maa, Zero," Kaname mumbled as he hung on to the other man for dear life. Zero kept them moving, but answered with an ever-so slightly slurred

"Wha?"

"…" Zero couldn't hear him,

"What the Hell are you trying to say Kuran?" Kaname turned his face up and Zero saw the single most hilarious site of his life. He started freaking out instantly;

Kaname was pouting at him.

"Shu' up, bastard…" And swearing, too! The night couldn't get any better. The perfect King Kuran's 'concrete' image was completely obliterated. Zero had imagined him an irritable drunk, or at least a sombre one, but this was out of the ballpark.

"Zero," he said, gripping the man's jacket so tightly the crinkled fabric began to rip,

"Hey, stop that! What is it?!" Kaname stopped dead and Zero wobbled for a moment, trying to keep on his feet. When the brunette pulled on him again, getting closer, they tumbled to the ground in a groaning heap. "Ugh…" Zero moaned as he tried to get back up without vomiting. Ouzo was particularly dangerous, and he'd now added it to his list of "Things to Drink When Depressed". He looked down at Kaname, knowing it was going to be a Hell of a walk back: the man was nearly asleep on the ground.

"What the Hell? Tryin' to drown your sorrows, or what?!" It was a struggle, but Zero managed to walk them back to the main house. Rima and Ichijo ended up taking Kaname to his room. Everybody else was dead drunk or dying. Zero sighed and looked for the patio from earlier. He was already gaining a bit of his mind, but began to feel sleepy, so he plopped down on one of the lounges, and was asleep within minutes, even with the chaos and laughing going on around him.

-

When the next evening came, the only people who weren't suffering hangovers were annoying the Hell out of those who did. Nobody had bothered to turn off the stereo, so rounds and rounds of some 'genius' guitarist played endlessly. Aidou's head rested in his arms, and Ichijo gently slid him to the side so he could set the table for breakfast. The smaller blonde grunted in return, but didn't support whatever half-threat he'd been muttering. Kain had an ice pack on his head and was leaning back on two legs, feet quickly pulled off the table when Ruka glared at him. The woman was suffering one of the worst headaches she'd ever known, and she'd be damned if her fiancée was going to ruin their splendid little breakfast (that is to say, she was still somewhat drunk.)

Yuki was… indisposed. Still sleeping in the parlour, when Ichijo had tried to wake her, she'd had him in a death grip, asking for the secret password until Kain pried her off of him before he went under. The girl was much stronger than she looked, and with her temper, these days, they entertained worries over whether Kaname could handle the ball of fire.

Speaking of the Head-of-House, he was nowhere to be seen. At last check, he was still sleeping off the ouzo in his bedroom. God knew how much he'd downed with Zero. The silver-haired daydreamer had been the first one up, and had already been cooking breakfast when Rima came staggering in. He'd handled the alcohol surprisingly well. And he never wanted to miss those last hours of light… Not exactly a secret, but he had a love-hate relationship with the sunset/sunrise deal.

"Can anyone brave Yuki? I made her favourite." Truthfully, she'd been well awake the moment she'd smelled it sizzling in the pan, but liked to sleep in, and nobody was going to object that when she had her claws out and shining. Ichijo looked wary, but somewhat willing. Kain sighed and dropped the ice pack on the table, where Ruka and Aidou fought for it as he left to fetch the princess. Zero finished setting the table when Kaname wandered in.

"Good morning. That smells wonderful. Ginger…?" His voice was suave, but still coated with the coarse sweetness of the liquorice drink.

"Mn," Zero confirmed, "can you check up on Kain and Ichijo? They're supposed to be getting Yuki." Kaname nodded and smiled as Zero swore; he'd forgotten to stir the vegetables. "SHITE! BURNING-FUCKIN'-HELL-!!"

Just as he'd come to the door of the parlour, Kain and Ichijo were coming out. Yuki stepped groggily behind them, and Kaname noted the slowly-healing bruises on their arms and cheeks. Alcohol thinned blood better than most aspirin, and their 'abilities' had been somewhat staunched. At least she'd saved the teeth for her husband…

"Good morning, Yuki." He said warmly. She hugged him like a four year-old and tried to walk to the kitchen. Failing, she allowed herself to be picked up and, upon entering the room, pouted with a headache the size of the Americas, (though still not as big as Ruka's) and plopped into a chair, courtesy of her husband's careful arms.

"Does anyone want coffee?" If Zero'd counted all the sarcastic looks tossed at him, he'd have had his gun out in no time. He set the machine to grind the beans and went to work on some omelettes Aidou had specifically asked for. He'd decided to humour him, because Ruka had smashed his head into the tile before leaving triumphantly with the ice packet. Anyone willing to try and conquer that woman was a Hell of a soldier, and Zero graciously offered Kain the option for a different breakfast. By the end of their little discussion, the silver-haired man was whipping up one of everything for each guest. Kaname came over to help him, and took over the eggs.

"'Never knew ouzo could do that to a man," the younger commented roughly as he tossed the vegetables and got a couple of amused claps from their starving, suffering audience. Kaname's head panged, but just the smell of coffee was doing wonders. He juggled some eggs into the pan, breaking them without a hitch, earning some shining looks of his own. Zero smiled, the weathered look of his well-concealed aches washing out his happiness,

"Are we going to get together and do this again, or are you banning alcohol from the house?" Kaname smiled too,

"It's a month-long vacation. I can't very well stop _every_ stupid thing we're willing to do." For some reason, Aidou kept glaring at them from the arm hanging over his head. Zero glared right back, and Kaname shot him an odd look. With that, the blonde went back to moaning in pain, and the two other men resumed their cooking.

When everyone was seated at the table, the food was instantly attacked, and within minutes, gone, for the most part. Yuki hoarded her Thai, Aidou had dibs on the smoothies he'd commanded Zero to make, and Kain and Ruka sometimes fed each other, each picking from the other's plate in what is described in '_Bloom County_' as, "The Big Casualness". Kaname sat next to his wife, and Zero sipped coffee at the counter, already worn out from cooking and needing his daily boost.

"So," He said as everyone was finishing their cups, "What are we doing next?" Aidou's head cracked on the table again, and he immediately shot up with a hissing sound, holding it and fidgeting while Rima told him to shut up his whining. Kaname looked dreamy for a moment, and Kain muttered something about the city.

"Are you insane?!" Ruka exclaimed after she folded back into herself, "We'll boil to death! We should be going up to Hokkaido, or something." Indeed, the heat wave had reached even the mountain-base vacation home of the Kuran holdings. It was then that Zero piped up, looking far away and through the wall,

"Why not Europe?" And there began The True Vacation.

-

They were lost. Eight excellent brains and beings with talent beyond description had been beaten by the long names of German road signs. The road said they were to approach Amsterdam within two hours, but the wet countryside barely looked like it could even be four hours from the decorated city.

"Fantastic. Why don't we stop before we kill ourselves?" Everyone had said at one point or another. Two carloads with switches, and everybody was already about to blast their companions to Hell. Particularly those in Aidou and Rima's car. They'd arrived in Berlin a few days before, and had done a whirlwind tour of Germany before coming back to Kain's property in the city, and heading for the Netherlands. Driving through Hamburg, they'd rested for a bit, visiting some of the tallest man's friends, who gave them some warm drinks and good entertainment, after which they continued their expedition through the strange country.

"I've heard that there are turtles in the fields and by the mills." Rima said off-hand as she and Aidou pored over the map. Zero had been driving since Berlin, Rima sitting next to him, Aidou in the back with Kaname to keep him calm. Now, the two light-haired deviants fought like it was a death match over which road to take. Kaname had long since given up trying to bring peace, even resorting to calling his wife and asking how her car was fairing. She'd driven since Hamburg, and said Kain and Ruka wouldn't stop fighting over the route. Ichijo and she sat in the front seat, so they had the option not to look back at the couple's rabid arguments and more 'passionate' moments. The young brunette had seemed embarrassed, and Kaname smiled, thinking about her blushing face. Before he hung up, Zero put the brake on suddenly, and everyone slid forward a bit,

"SHUT THE HELL UP BEFORE I DRIVE US INTO THE SWAMP!!" Aidou and Rima argued a bit, but generally quieted down. Stunned, Kaname recounted the event, and instantly heard screams on the other end of the line, as well as Yuki's shouts, the following silence, and then the gracious "Thank you, Kaname!" Before she hung up with a tired sound to her. After this, they were heading to Antwerpen, and then Calais to go the Channel and eventually, London. That drive looked to be another ten hours, at least, so rotations were soon in coming.

"Are you fine to drive still? The traffic's getting worse, and you had a bit too much coffee in Hamburg." Kaname offered a change, but Zero merely shook his head, dug around in his pocket and popped some more gum in his mouth. Even with immortals, it was rude to smoke in a car, and Zero was trying to cut the habit, anyway.

"Want some?" He said thickly. He dropped some in Kaname's hand anyway and continued driving, going off in Japanese every now and then at some asshole who acted like they knew what they were doing. His stomach grumbled, and Kaname felt his forehead after the man put on a second scarf.

"You're burning up," He said as he removed his hand. Zero pulled over after enough nagging from the three of them, and Rima and Aidou claimed the front, the princess keeping her seat, and the queen gaining a new throne. Kaname settled Zero into the back, finding a water bottle and cotton shirt. Aidou froze the water from up at the wheel, tossing it back so Kaname could wrap it up. He held it on Zero's forehead and bore the stinging look the man was giving him as he huffed under the blanket, coat, sweaters, and scarves. Kaname smiled wryly,

"I suppose puking at the airport wasn't enough for you?" Zero smacked his hand away and held the bottle himself. Kaname stared out the window for while until both Rima and Zero conked out, waking them every now and then when they stopped at a convenience store. Finally, Yuki said she couldn't take it anymore, and at least three of them agreed. They stopped at a hotel, Aidou catching up within the hour, (massive amounts of coffee having provided many rest stops.)

After so much fighting in the car, Ruka strictly denied Kain entrance to her room, and instead let Rima and Yuki in. The youngest brunette had apologised to her husband before a hopped-up Ruka dragged her back through the doorway. Kaname caught some French film on the television. The leading man looked handsome.

So, Kain boarded with his cousin, just like the old days, and Kaname would have gone in with them, if Zero hadn't adamantly denied any check-ups or medicine so suspiciously. So, for the night, they were roomies.

"You want something to drink?" Zero was looking through the mini-bar, glaring at foreign names and grumbling about how fucked-up German was. He could learn dead tongues and he was muttering kill-phrases about one of the bases of the English language, which he _also_ knew, fluently. Kaname refused, and went in for a shower.

The hotel they'd gone to was most certainly not what they were used to, but had the basics, and of course, the sacred mini-bar, as well as a pub, downstairs. None of them bothered to read the name, but Kain blasted through the language like he knew it by heart, and the host seemed to think he was from the country.

When Kaname came out of the shower, Zero appeared to be sleeping... on the floor, between the beds. The brunette approached him quizzically, but when the sickly mass quivered and coughed, getting up and spluttering some nonsense about falling off the bed, Kaname took his temperature again, and immediately ordered him to lay down and

"Stop drinking. You're only going to make yourself worse. It doesn't matter if you can blow through twelve shots of vodka without batting an eyelash. It will **always** come back to you." Their positions had, thankfully, switched since the party, but not wanting to be completely sober before the day went out, Kaname grabbed a bottle of wine and poured himself a glass, watching from his bed as Zero glared at him,

"I didn't force it down your throat." Zero smiled venomously, then,

"Sounds like you're thinking of better times. Seventeen, right?" Kaname stared at him expressionlessly,

"Do you want me to give you a pat on the back or a quart?" The alcohol was putting him in a strange mood, for some reason. Zero snapped at him,

"Why do you always have to ruin things like this?" He started panting, getting up on his elbows with a flushed face. Kaname challenged him with a bored look. "You play the hero, but you're a manipulative bastard with an exaggerated sense of loyalty." The fangs were out, now, but Zero could barely stay up. The elder sighed,

"How long has it been?" Zero started to snarl as Kaname went on, "Don't think I'm whoring myself out to you again. If you want anything, go to the… House… down…" Kaname started to feel woozy, too. What the Hell was… He looked at the bottle on the counter: that wasn't German. What the fuck did he just drink?! Zero's anger had apparently given him energy, and he managed to stand. Kaname stayed where he was, not knowing what they'd had, or where Aidou's room was, anymore. He'd only had a glass and… and suddenly there five walls, three ceilings, and two very angry Zeroes. He felt groggy, and whatever Zero said seemed to fall in one ear and slip out the other.

Without a warning the impaired man could notice, Zero had him on the floor, straddling his hips with a vicious look to him. "Don't you fucking ignore me again." How rude. It wasn't like he was trying, in this state. Zero wavered a bit from his light head, but Kaname couldn't have noticed through his own haze. What did the label read? Kaname felt himself being shaken, and looked curiously at Zero. The room seemed to spin, and his legs were going every which way.

It got dark for a moment, and Kaname felt something soft on his face. His hands came up from the floor to go through the softness, but he felt something sharp on his neck…

"KIRIYU! NO!!" He tried to beat the other man off, but suddenly the ground was above him, and his face cracked into it.

Zero heaved, holding the squirming man's hands and keeping him on his stomach. He'd taken the precaution to put up some barriers, having explained earlier he just wanted insurance, and it was currently draining him, having to focus on so many things at once. He'd be lucky to be alive in the morning.

He drew a quick design across Kaname's wrists with the blood that dripped from his lips. He punched it, earning a jerk, and relaxed a bit as it held beneath the man's struggling. Keeping someone this powerful under him was more taxing than his teachers could fathom, and even the designs he'd placed earlier, as well as the 'long battery life' setting he'd put on himself-it had been the reason for his sickness-was one of the most energy-consuming things he'd ever done. And he could only do it when the man was drunk. Which wasn't often, but parties and vacations provided more openings. And no; he hadn't been planning this for very long. It was, maybe something to break routine, maybe a bit of revenge for worse times. Whatever the case, one more seal and the man would be docile, and he could really get this out of his system. Punching in the strict, rough, boxlike drawing, he felt himself sigh in relief when Kaname could do nothing but tense a little. He laid off for a breather, and then got back to it.

Turning Kaname onto his back, Zero chuckled at the poisonous look he got, "You've done worse. And you seemed pretty fine with things back in Japan," He leaned in close, feeling Kaname tense as much he could. His hand wandered up to Kaname's ear, and he brushed the hair behind it, kissing the upper left cheekbone and delighting in the design that floundered, then fully appeared on the milky skin.

"Kuran, this really isn't my style. I, like you," The shudder was repressed, "enjoy things to be more planned out. You'd be shocked to know I thought of this the day of the party. Seeing someone like you succumb to something like alcohol just put this spontaneous idea in my head," He snapped his fingers for emphasis, "like that! You can't blame me, though. You, alone, could never afford the reparations required to make our history go away." His mood hadn't soured, but it was definitely off, and Kaname grimaced and looked away when Zero came back to his neck. When the man touched down, however… was a completely different story. Zero savoured the sound he made:

"Mmph!" The frightened look plastered on that proud face made Zero's heart swell. This must have been the feeling Ichiou and Rido had been after. It was a whole new kind of high. Kaname started gasping; what the Hell had Zero done to him? His mind was a mess, though he knew he was angry, and there were all these horrible memories bubbling up, but… how could he put it? It was like the seals were seeping into his bones. He was in paralysis, but it felt nice. He was drugged and bound in some German hotel, but feeling good. An ex human hunter was having the time of his life ravaging his throat, but… Maybe this is what masochists felt like?

He was making all sorts of terrible sounds. Zero's eager face became Ichiou's ravenous eyes and mouth. His hands turned into Rido's, body crouching like the predator he was, ready to eat, fuck, or kill, or even all three at once. It was scary, but once again, it felt rather nice. The vulnerability was definitely freaking him out, but Zero couldn't kill or maim him without suffering consequences worse than his current curse, and there weren't many other things he could do than thi-oh. Right. That thing.

Shirts off for the most part, (Kaname's hung around his bound hands) Zero crawled over him, teeth and claws out, pants undone, slowly shimmying the brunette's trousers to his knees. Zero had that same fierce and terrifying look as any other Level E, but his movements were practised, as though he really had staged the entire thing, sound set, crew, and all.

"If you get any louder, Kuran, I'll have to seal everyone, skip town, and take you with me. You can't ask that of a dying man, can you?" His eyes were red. Kaname blinked back the glaze in his eyes,

"What are you doing?" his voice was tired, slurred, and deep, and Zero shivered appreciatively. Kaname found some sort of odd gratitude in that, though the ultimate disrespect was killing him.

"You fucked over the latter half of my life," He checked the binds, "so, I figured," checking the binds, checks, checks-_smile_, "why not return the favour? You ever done this before? I tried it a couple of times in Ni-chou(1). The receiving part hurts, but you can handle it?" It wasn't a question so much as a taunt. Kaname closed his eyes when the lamp in the room gained the power of the sun, and Zero expanded on that, wrapping his discarded shirt around the man's head in a makeshift blindfold. Kaname wanted to kill him, but the warm darkness was comforting, and cushioned his head on the hardwood.

Zero looked down on him with satisfaction, smirking as he pushed the man's hips up and earned a frantic flinch. S&M wasn't really his thing, but… 'Spontaneity' was the word of the month, so he might as well enjoy it while he could.

"Kaname," He said, voice warming up a little. Kaname flinched at that, too. "You heal quickly, right?" Kaname didn't bother answering, putting himself as far into the thin darkness as possible. When he closed his eyes, the silhouette disappeared, and he could almost imagine he was just dreaming. Zero pressed up against him in what could be described as "The Naughty Way", and he flinched again, grunting in affirmation. He could almost feel the scarred man's smiled as he pressed a little harder and earned rapid little breaths,

"…It would make something as tedious as preparation pointless, right?" He'd ventured on bad days that Kaname 'maimed' Yuki every night they did this, so it was almost returning a favour. Kaname began throwing out half-formed orders for him to stop, various death threats, and other things that absolutely could not be backed up, once Zero got a very specific seal reinstated. Whatever years he had left were going to be Hell for Kaname. And he greatly enjoyed that.

Currently, Kaname's eyebrows shot up, and his hands started clawing at his wrists so as to detach them and free himself. That he would go to such measures proved his animosity toward Zero, as well as the pride the other man so wholly hated.

"That's bad, Kaname…" Time to have a little fun. Let's observe: "What would we do if that seal slowed your healing?" The hands stopped clawing and Kaname froze up, wrists healing at rate that definitely did not match his rapid heart. Zero grinned cruelly, "Not only would they see those pretty scars you made, but they would be a reminder of this." 'Our coupling'? Zero wasn't so straightforward… He had offered the man an ultimatum, and though tense as steel, Kaname stopped moving, and allowed with gritting teeth Zero's freshly motivated motions. Tonight was going to be fabulous.

Zero, in all of his sentimentality and kindness, had somewhat thought that sex should be a mutual thing. It was just the right thing to do. _Vampires_ did what needed to be done. _Hunters_ **did in** those that needed to be 'done'. They were job descriptions, and the employees worked every day like everything was staged; perfect script, perfect timing. It was how the universe worked. So, Zero, dealing in technicalities, is both. He has both orders, and follows both orders. His own ideas and morals could be clouded by instinct and small, petty things like, let's say,_ revenge_. Shortened, it makes for an interesting mind. And, as a vampire hunter and self-hating Level D, what was he to do, now that he had one of the causes of his misery bound, blinded, and willing to never, ever bring it up again?

Zero is still a good little boy. What did you think I was going to say…?

There were certain… 'implements' that could be used on resisting inmates and captures. They weren't as damaging as others, but they were drugs, in any case. Zero reached up on the bed and dug around in his coat pocket. Government-grade drugs. There was nothing out there that was stronger.

"Take it." He said simply, holding it to Kaname's mouth. The man didn't move, acting almost as if he hadn't heard Zero, but the indignant flush to his cheeks proved his capability. Zero waited about ten seconds,

"Alright, have it your way." Zero took the pill and it's little plastic coating in his mouth, right on his tongue, bent down close to Kaname, and made a small seal on his lips with his own. Kaname noticeably relaxed, completely paralyzed, and Zero opened his mouth and swirled the pill to the back of his throat, wiping his tongue on his shirt afterwards. With seconds left, he rubbed Kaname's throat and the man swallowed. Not a moment later, the small seal broke and Kaname choked,

"What did you have me swallow, Kiriyu?!" Zero was still wiping his face: same poison as before. Nothing ever changed with these people.

"It's something suited to you. If this is traumatic enough for you, it'll make sure you never remember it. If you like it, well," Zero pushed Kaname's hips up and smiled triumphantly as the man squeaked, "You'll remember it forever. Our secret, okay?" His eyes had crows' feet that had grown with his age. His career was fantastic and his home comforting, but after this… If he died within the next seventy-to hours, it would just mean seeing his brother again. He had nothing more to complain about except this one, large, debonair itch. He proceeded to scratch it teasingly.

His current goal was to get the man to make as many small noises as possible, whether by the ministrations on his neck, chest, stomach, crotch, or

"Mmh!" Perfect. So he worked like that, too. Now, Zero was by no means a sadist. He was in 'law enforcement', and did his job well. If interrogation techniques made small sweeps into his personal life, it was hardly his own mistake.

"Kaname, I daresay you're enjoying this." Kaname flinched, getting more energetic by the moment, fidgeting and coming close to thrashing as Zero played with the hem of his boxers. "Oh, you'll want to stay still soon. It gets a little harder to take, after this point."

"Zero, what a-DON'T!!" The brunette yelped, feeling Zero's hand pull down the waistband. They were around his thighs and he struggled more violently. The silver-haired predator narrowly dodged a kick, shortly after grabbing Kaname's chin so hard, his nails cut into the flesh.

"I could've made it hurt a lot worse, Kuran. Keep that in mind."

"Then why didn't you?" Kaname spat, unable to see the man but senses _very_ acute, right now. Zero allowed a thoughtful silence before saying,

"You're right; why don't I?" Kaname was about to ask him what he was going to do, before he felt Zero's fingers slide down from his waistline to a very-sensitive-place-indeed. He thrashed again, feeling Zero do another seal on the area.

Within seconds, Kaname stopped moving. Zero smirked powerfully,

"That's a very tender place, isn't it, Kuran?"

"Zero, get off of me now." His voice was thick and dark, shaking with anger and a warning unlike most he'd given in his life, but Zero delighted in the fear and memory behind those words, and proceeded without a care for the other man's traumatisation.

The hunter quickly dabbled his fingers in the blood that was congealing on Kaname's neck, smearing it on his hand with a static light in his eyes. He drew a small design between the brunette's cleft, taking immense pleasure in the single, rough gasp the man dared emit. That would be enough to keep him going for weeks, maybe even years.

"Kuran, are all of you like this? So sensitive. It would be cute if the lot of you weren't such bastards." He pressed his palm to the symbol, having to pry Kaname's cheeks apart and earning another shudder. Kaname twisted on the floor, his wrists remaining unhealed, one hanging by the bone and a few tendons. The flesh was torn so deeply, the silvery-white surface shone in the lamplight, most of the nerves damaged or completely severed. Zero made sure he had enough blood on his fingers still, "This is going to be quite fun." and gently pressed in.

Kaname instantly tightened and yelped, "KIRIYU!!" Zero had to fight to keep the man's shaking legs down as he bucked and thrashed. His mouth was wide and Zero almost stuffed some fabric into it to shut the man up. But he smiled at the reaction,

"Doesn't feel so good, does it, Kuran?" He began thrusting the finger, bringing another series of tremors, hisses, and gasps. Kaname's mouth closed this time, his teeth grating, spittle peeking out from the corner of his lips. It fell over the edge and ran in a small stream down the dignified man's face. Zero leaned in close, brushing it away on Kaname's jacket and lips catching the captured man' ear,

"Now imagine; you're seventeen again. I'm crumbled against a wall, glaring at you and the **disgusting** things you represent," Two of his fingers jolted in strongly, that moment, Kaname's thrashing becoming all the more wild. "You come up to me, leaning in like a wanton _**seducer**_," Kaname's breath hitch and his legs grew harder to hold, until Zero finally got tired and essentially stuck them to the floor with another seal. Kaname's agony showed on his face with the additional indignation, as well as the pain caused by the more-religious-than-Zero-actually-was seals: they felt like stakes through the ankles, holding him wide open and further ensnared. Zero grabbed his chin roughly,

"I struggle to get away, then realise the futility. I face you. Spit on you. You slash at me like the **fucking **animal you are!!!" Another finger, angry and violent, delighting in Kaname's discomfort, thrust in. "You grab me, I resist. You shove me against that goddamn wall and offer me that fucking ultimatum," Zero pulled out all of the fingers, gooey with blood and other things, and Kaname tensed more than ever, thinking this was the moment. He should have given Zero more credit: he was a pretty creative guy.

Kaname screamed when he felt something much bigger than what he'd experienced in the office or the dungeon pouring into him. Zero was livid; "I am going to give you the same _**fucking**_ lack of choice." He pushed his fist harshly into Kaname and savoured the man's scream. Kaname couldn't thrash much anymore, and the thin darkness the blindfold provided was just enough to turn Zero's face into so many others.

"Are you enjoying this, Kuran?! Does it remind you of your childhood?!!" Kaname choked, mouth wide, saliva dripping down his chin and cheek. His voice was already hoarse, but Zero listened to his shouts and whines as if they were a symphony, a look of twisted bliss crossing his face. When Kaname finally stopped fighting, still twitching, Zero withdrew the fist, smiling familiarly at the blood coating his hand. He looked at it with adoration,

"You know, I have to hand it to you," He said as he made a loud show of fully unzipping his fly. He wasn't hard, but he kicked off his pants and underwear with the same eagerness of a teenager. Positioning himself, he slowly came in, prying apart Kaname's legs much further than necessary. "Purebloods really can be amazing."

Kaname shuddered, arms shooting down to his stomach, a sick feeling filling him. Zero grabbed the slashed wrists as they dangled delicately from the bone, swearing as he tossed them aside, "That's going to be really annoying, isn't it?" He drew another design, using the blood on his hands, focusing on the pattern sluggishly forming on Kaname's chest. "This is so taxing-" He punched it in and Kaname was paralyzed again, feeling the seal on his wrists break quickly while Zero grabbed something from his pocket. He sprinkled a silvery powder over the wounds, and Kaname almost broke through the paralysis, the pain was so strong. Zero reapplied the seal with tired movements, whispering "I know, I know. Not exactly a picnic is it?" and pulling away for the moment the temporary seal broke.

Kaname instantly screamed, long and hard enough that the veins in his throat and temples bulged with the effort, his perfect, pale face growing purple as the powder worked its magic and his destroyed flesh rotted off the bone, bubbling as it seeped into the rug. Zero held his nose, "Smells somethin' awful, doesn't it?" He waited until the process stopped before continuing. When only the bone remained, he watched interestedly as muscles, veins, nerves, and skin wove over the nearly-indestructible surface. Kaname's screams reduced to whimpers and pants, his chest heaving painfully as his wrists reconstructed-the hunter's way. Zero reminisced with tight lips the last time a pureblood had been involved with the powder. His associate, a dedicated man, had tracked the godforsaken monster for months, finally getting the papers through to take into questioning. He'd been missing for a fortnight before they found him in the bastard's home, tied up in the foyer like a Christmas present while the demon was enjoying a _lengthy_ get-away vacation. The wounds had been so extensive… the sick bastard hadn't ceased his torture until every inch of the man's flesh was scar tissue. Slashing, breaking, and then healing it again-Zero had had no choice in the matter. The man would never have recovered if he hadn't at least tried… it was another thing to rack up against those goddamned bloodsuckers.

Kaname's fingers routinely clenched and released his palms as Zero began to thrust in again. It was daunting, waiting beneath the man in such an unimaginable position for someone of his social status, forced to let him work his way to hardness. As Zero kept on, he gained speed, shoving Kaname into the carpeting and giving him burns from it, he went so quickly. Then, suddenly, he stopped. He panted for a moment, wiping sweat from his face, now fully erect and deeply hidden inside the other man.

"Kuran," Kaname's ears perked, huffing heavily, himself, "I told you I was going to offer you an ultimatum," Zero leaned in closely then, making Kaname arch disgustedly, feeling that breath on his ear. Something vague was whispered, and he stopped breathing for a moment, bright cheeks becoming flushed of colour as his excitement died and drained from him.

"Ze-Mmh!" Zero kissed him deeply so as to hush him, the mood not having changed, and the bold move having the sole purpose and effect of terrorizing the pureblood. When Zero drew away, he whispered, eyes bright,

"_Your death will begin with mine, Kuran. As you own mine, I shall own yours. I will take away your _**happiness**_, your _**memories**_, and your _**life**." Zero pushed harder into him, and Kaname's parted lips widened, the silver-haired attacker licking the blood off of them.

"_Zero_, **please** don't do this," Kaname heaved, shaking his head as Zero went faster and faster, plunging into him like clockwork with a sickening, wet slapping sound. It echoed in his ears and left a rancid, hot taste in his mouth. Zero groaned and thrust harder and more erratically, and Kaname's stomach curdled as the whiteness spread into him. A part of Zero dryly commented that it had been quite a while (hadn't it, though?)

Through his harsh breathing, Zero balanced himself and reached for Kaname's cheek, done pouring into him and now slowly softening, _You will remember this for the rest of your life. You will remember how much you __**liked**__ it, and you will despair over the loss of it when it is gone. There will be no cure, and you will suffer as long as you live, just like so many others have wished._ Zero didn't say it. He just took off Kaname's blindfold and watched as those black, dilated shrank back in pain, eyelids fluttering effeminately for a moment before they fully registered the whole of Zero's stern intensity. Kaname would live with this for the rest of his life. It would form the same kind of cavity inside of him that Rido and—later—Ichiou established in him. They would rot out as he would think about them, and group together. Zero had meant to destroy him through this, just as the other men had. The only difference was Zero would probably win, with this last blow.

He pulled out and wiped himself off, trusting that Kaname would either be too stunned or too weak to attack him as he relinquished his power over the seals. They vanished in a nanosecond, but Kaname remained still, panting for moments afterward. He heard footsteps. A door clicked open and close, and he heard a water running. After that, he just stared at the ceiling for a while. It almost felt like he was asleep.

-

"They don't have a private bathhouse here, so you'll have to use the regular shower." Zero said from a chair. Kaname began to wake up, eyes somewhat unfocused and his body shaky. He inspected his wrists and noticed two inconspicuously small, pink lines scarring them. He looked them over with curiosity, trying very hard not to think about killing anything, and especially not about what had just happened. Zero watched him interestedly from behind the towel he was wiping his face with,

"The effects of the seals," He smiled, opening his thigh slightly and showing off a sweeping, rather painful-looking rouge streak, "We're both owned by dead men, eh?" Kaname could barely understand anything at the moment. Zero didn't move as he shakily got up, wobbling on his feet and feeling the strange slickness between his legs. Sex like this had never made him so weak… ('sex without extreme torture' might be better way of putting it.) He walked to the bathroom door, grabbing the handle more for stability than anything. He turned slightly and faced Zero. The man was still staring off into space, his face drained of good colour, lips a deathly bluish-mauve. His voice was halting, his attention elsewhere,

"I lied. You won't remember this when you wake up." _But you will want it. And you won't know why_. Kaname turned away again, gripping the handle firmly and turning it. He closed the door behind him, stepping into the shower and turning it on very cold. The scars burned acidly, And he scratched and slashed at the flesh as he had earlier, splashing the blood all over the tiled walls and floor. He watched it grow back, entranced as the tendons again made their way over the bone, weaving tightly until there was no evidence he'd harmed himself: the scars stood as reminders on his skin, engraved deeply, and not giving any hint of ever leaving. Either way, Kaname really would be scarred for life. Even if he wouldn't remember how, for whatever reason. And he was taking it so calmly, woozy and incapable of understanding why. What did Zero have him drink that would have messed him up so badly? He eyed the floor dizzily, swaying as the water hit him.

Zero heard a thump from outside the bathroom, almost having gotten into bed. He didn't bother hesitating when he reached for the door knob, or when he opened it and the full wave of the scent and sight of strong blood washed over him. Kaname had fainted… a pureblood… in a _cold_ shower… it was almost funny, but Zero was still grim from having looked at his own scar. He walked over to the man, feet splashing in runoff water and pooled blood and flesh as roughly scoured the unconscious body. He then picked the man up, helping him to one of the beds and half-heartedly tossing a quilt over him. He cleaned up the bathroom, turned off the lights, and fell onto his own bed. He was exhausted, and in a bad mood, to boot. Kaname had looked beautiful the last time he'd seen him sleep off heavy liquor, a peaceful, fulfilled look. He had since regained the nightmarishly troubled look from his youth. So hollow, not even the anger remained.

He was damn thin, too.

Zero examined from afar the bony shoulders visible through the fabric of the blanket. He inspected his own belly: he really needed to eat more healthily, if he didn't want Yuki nagging him about his weight once they got on the beach.

His ears perked; a small, rough sigh coming from Kaname's side of the room. A pureblood having a nightmare… The night couldn't get any better if there were ten kinds of ramen sitting on the desk and two naked women lounging in his bed. Zero wasn't a pervert, but he could be glutton when he wanted to, and sex on the road was no controversial thing to an assassin and retired political plaything. By all means, he was an upstanding guy. He could've confused the powder with a concentrated poison he kept with him at all times. Hunter-grade: a painless, paralyzed death in about six seconds (he'd gotten buddy-buddy with the boys in the lab.) Also: he could have slipped drugs in any one of Kaname's drinks, thrown him off the balcony and onto the crags, attacked him in his sleep, tainted the water reserves with poison, burned off his hair, bound him with a spell, thrown him, drugged, to thugs. Or, if he was as cold and cruel as most of the women at the office thought him to be, used _real_ stakes instead of seals to keep the fucker down. Yes, Zero was a good man in this case. Charming, even, in that he never once thought of putting Kaname on the receiving end of any of those tortures. Now, some of his co-workers and clientele…

He was distracting himself. He wasn't young anymore; he couldn't keep avoiding his problems like this… But he could definitely feel that. Zero knew his fate, and what he had been consigned to. He would meet whoever was coming for him with the same dignified resignation he'd learned to show as a professional. He lifted his palm, gazing up at it in the light that seeped in from under the door. The veins pushed against his pasty skin. The bones prodded from inside, seeming to be curious of what lay beyond the flesh. His hair couldn't get any greyer, so he didn't care much in that department, but his heart rate was sluggish, and he knew there was a reason he'd been ordered to resign from field duty. He also knew there wasn't much time left to do the things he wanted. Considering most of the people who had caused the majority of his misery were already dead, he had to start with the most accessible one. His plan was by no means revenge, but compensation. He wasn't going to steal Kaname's newly-found happiness only to bring him down to his level, but rather to have it for his own, and delight in the short-lived irony he would get to experience. He wasn't after blood, just a show before the banquet ended and he had to give up his seat. He knew his place, and he didn't care about who would fill it in after he left. He just wanted to enjoy himself for a while. And, possibly, have a good enough viewpoint to see Kaname down at the other end of the table, a long way from the exit, but on a leash that would more than bring him closer to Zero.

Because even if Zero treasured those moments beneath the apple tree, with no one but his brother, it would be very nice to have someone by him to know the same thing. The quiet, the beauty, the heat, and the breezes. He felt better, laying in the dark with that calm sound of breathing, knowing Kaname was on his earthly tether, now. He didn't want to die alone, like he'd let his brother.


End file.
